Wrench



Feb. 13, 1945 R, E GEARHART 2,369,346

WRENCH Filed June 28, 1943 1 Y f//a Patented Feb. 113, 1945` UNITED w "Rdy l Gearhartlliiansas itvnMoallassignorfol tenths? to Richard apprendisti moers, `194e-,terrorism-.lleases i l s boletas. o'1.` tif-fein This' invention relates to iiiiprovemeritel-iri `a wrene'll arid has` partioularreferehoe to a wrench l `leaving' a double action wherebythe" wifel'iclijaws lare constantly urged toward each other during the operation on-a nutor screw. l

.This iriventionis an improvement over my in 1 -l veritiohsetiorth in applioation, serial Nol490,106f l arid has fol" its prinipal object the provision of" l a; jaw operating structure having double means whereby the jaws aremovedltlirough a relatil'lely` Iotigdistanee during' the lnut engaging olgieratiol'i.v

Anotherobieet ofthis-.irivehtio iolthe provi-` Sion of awrfenoh` having a` pair" of relatively adeV anchored to sadiulorum"andincluding a lever having an operating"carri"livlfieifeliliv` aSSid level* `it osoil1ated,gboth the "toggle strutturethe` the "lever cam` will simultaneously oaulse `said laws 'to A; i

movetoward or Iroirr` each other.` i

`otheromette are sturdiness ontleoonomy of" and adaptability for operating a; nut jl-"screw through a relatively short are without removing tlrewrench from screw. t l Reference will how be liao to the drawing;-

l l clearly* shown in Fig.` 3.

Standes be provided With Cutting blades Suitable" for' severing metal or? other l rnatei-"lelel` i l angled relation of the jaws I2 arid `20 to the body` t oflthe'shatlk is showri at r'iglht angles to thelever t l movement: but maybe varied as ih alignment therewith. l

The yoke `I8 is recessed at 2G to ffseit 1slide" "wells: z8 .between whioli` is fitted `the ifi-mer endl` otllever 3u'.` This `lever slsf provided adjacent` enga'g'esiri` a groove l 38 `fortified in `yoke Hi` asA Referring to Fig. 2', it erid portion 4U of lever `3l)l engages" the` abutment l 42 when the lever is in the fully extended'positeleosition about; seid out or Figure 1 is enedge'viewof o-wrerioltpoeitioriea to lengage l a nut and `eifiibodjring this ihventioii".l l-

1.11` ot Fig. 1l with the jawsfmov'ed to the gripping" t poeitiorh 1 l l trie; 4` is a sectional view taken online Iv--Iv ofFglZt i tl as` shown; However, when the lever is moved iiwardiytoward shank l0 then end portion 40 will V recedefrorn abutment 42 as the cani 36 engages thefiriner portion M of said abutment to move the? pin 32 along slot 34; The lever 3U is normally` v seoured in the extended position by' 'meansjfof a l tension` spring-46' whioh is` secured to said `lever bymeans of a screw 48" with itsinrier end restirlg l againstafulcrum mer'nber.` After thel'everf30 o llas been? moved to the positionshown inlig."3 l i by gripping the 'shank and lever, the lever lrial,"` l

bel returned to itsnormal position bytlleaction of Figi 2". l

Figl 6 is` afragmehtary sectlohalview of a;

modlecliorm ofthe `wrenelwherein cabi is formed onthe sliding yoke to end of the operating lever.V l l l Throughout the'severalflvlews like reference ooopereteywi'th l characters referto similar parte and the numeral l lli designates a shank or handle having a xedl jaw I2 in which is formed an angled `grojcwe [4N to form nut engaging'ffac'es I8 suitable for simula-` taiieously engaging adjacent sides of a not or* sorew for setting or removing theeamje.

Slidably mounted o'n shank*v `Il) is" a l yoke or oloolt t8 having a iavf-2eompleriiehtiiig 'jaw l2. This law is grooved at Z2 to present hut engaging l eurfaoes 2l. Referringt'o the drawing, it will lifel 1 ooteothe-t the nuteneaeing surfaces arejs'o poele of serio-g why releasing thelhao grip on the` `wrelio'liand as the lever moves away frein Shank The fulorum member 5u' islof' elongated hariorm having" a series" of teetli 5d and is secured forliih#` A-ited longitudinal movementfbetween' walls 28 by means oia 'pin 56` which is` xedftothe member l `5t) with its ends protruding at each side thereof f forslldg engagement in slots 56` formed in side Walle A28` ifi parallel relation with sll'ak IU. It will be noted that theratohet teeth 5E are spaced f longitudinally of the bar from the pin 56 soas` `tdiiernriitthe hingihg of the bar' on' the pin to vfl'ee' teeth from the rack bar teeth ed foihied'oh the inner face ofsliank I0; A I D l it isprefereole to make teeth stenti tuin" i. i ratchet formarigled to' preveutrelatve slippage therebetween whenjtlie jaws are beirigioroed agairiet the-hut ahdto oerrhiteasv ratoheting movement fof the'teeth when the laws-are desired thet't'he angled relation-ot these 'engaging Surface-e may te varied teengeee thelvarious shaped mite and might-lin thaleia` l willbe noted that the v moved toward each other during the initial setting of the wrench.

Links 62 at each side'of the lever 30 are pivoted thereto by a pivot 64 while the other ends of said links are connected by pivot 66 to the outer end of fulcrum member 50 so that when the member 50 is in the position shown yin Fig. 2, the

teeth on the fulcrum bar member will engage the teeth of the rack bar 60 to preventfrelative' longitudinal movement of the fulcrum membe and shank.

When the wrench parts are in the position4 just.

described and as shown in Fig. 2 with the pin 3.2,

y, jaw, a yoke lslidably carried by said shank and pivot 64 and pivot 66 in offset angled relation to present a toggle, the operator, bympressing'lever. l 30 toward shank I 0, will cause the jaws to be moved to engage nut N. It will be noted that havingk a jaw complementing said fixed jaw, a hand operable toggle means pivotally carried by lsaid shank and slidably carried by said yoke adapted to force said jaws toward and from each l other, anda cam integral with said toggle means there is a double action, the rst action tendingA v to move the jaws toward each other beingproduced by the toggle action which tends to move the pivotal points Vof the toggle nearera straight line, the other action being the cam action against the abutment wall 42.

tween the toggle action and the cam action have been shown in favor of the toggle action, however,V if desired,.the relative lever action might be reversed Vor made to conform to any desired proportion without departing from the spirit ofv this invention.l

`When it is desired to adjust the wrench to fit" ratchet teeth 60 to the proper position.l However, when the nut to be operated on is larger than the nut previously operated on, it is necessary to raise the fulcrum member 50 against the action of spring 46 a suicient distance to release thev teeth 54 from the rack teeth 60 and pull the lever 3 6 along shank I!! to separate the jaws the proper distance. One of the material advantages obtained by theprovision of the relatively long adjustment of jaw is the fact that the wrench may be maintained in position about the nut as shown in Fig. `2 so that the jaws will be suiiiciently spaced apart to permit the movement of the wrenchabout the nut to obtain .a new grip thereon when the lever is in the open position. 'I'his facilitates much more rapid operation than could beobtained were it necessaryto raise the wrench fromthe nut to .turn it to the new gripping position. If it is desired to have a shorter movement of the lever` relative to kshank l0, then the operator may move the fulcrum member 5U inwardly one tooth, thereby setting the jaws closer to-l While fo-r illustrative purposes the relative lever advantages beand engaging said yoke operable by said ltoggle means to force said jaws toward and from each other.

A 2. vA wrench comprising a shank having a fixed jaw, a yoke slidably mounted on saidvshank, and havinga jaw complementingsaid xed jaw, a fulcrum adjustably secured to said shank, a lever having its one end slidably mounted in said yoke and being pivotally connected by links pivoted to said fulcrum whereby as said lever is moved toward said shank the jaws will be moved toward each other, and a cam engaging said yoke and rigid with said lever operable as said lever is moved relative to said shank to force said toward or from each other. i

, 3. A wrench comprising a shank having a iixed y jaw, a yoke `slidably mounted on said shank and having a `jaw complementing said fixed jaw, a fulcrum adjustablysecured to said shank, a lever having its one end slidably Vmounted in said yokeand'being pivotally lconnected by links pivoted to said fulcrum whereby as said lever is moved'toward said shank the jaws will be moved toward each other, and cam means interconnecting said lever and yoke operable assaid lever is moved toward said shank to force said .complementing jawaway from said fulcrum. f i i 4. A wrench comprising a shank having a fixed jaw, a yoke` slidably mounted on Said shank and gether vso .that the necessary relative movement of the jaws to clamp the nut will be lessened;`

`Referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the inner portions of jaws l2 and 20 are serrated at 68. These serratio-ns do not interfere with the nut engaging surfaces and may be useful in removing studsand operating on pipes, etc.

In Fig. 6, showing a modified form of the wrench, it will be noted that a cam surface 'Hl is formed on abutment l2 which is integral with yoke 14. Lever `i6 is provided at its inner end with an arcuate surface 'i8 which is normally out of `engagement with cam 10 when the lever isin the open position as shown, but which contacts alignment with `the lever 16 and when the parts are` sopositioned,4 it is quite apparentthat the line of, rash. esame jaw. .82 will be substantially'- .a

having a jaw complementing said fixed jaw, a lever having-its innerend slidably carried by said yoke, a fulcrum member adjustably secured to saidf'shankwith, its inner end'longitu'dinally slidably mounted in said yoke and'being pivotally connected by a link to said lever whereby as said lever is movedptoward said shank said jaws.

will be moved toward each other, and a cam rigid with said lever and engaging said yokev operable as said lever is moved toward said shank, to urge said-jaws toward each other. y

5. A wrench comprising a shank having a fixed jaw, a yoke slidably mounted on said shank and having a jaw .complementing said fixed jaw, a lever having its inner end slidably carried by said yoke,r a fulcrum member adjustably `secured `to said shank with its inner end longitudinally, slidably mounted in said yoke and being pivotally connected` by a link to said lever whereby as said v leveris moved toward saidv shank said jaws will be moved toward each other, and a cam carried by said lever and engaging saidvyoke operable as said lever is moved toward said shank, to urge said jaws toward each other. y I n l 6. A wrench comprising a shank having a fixed jaw, anyoke slidably mounted on said shank and having a jaw complementing said fixed JaW, a lever having its inner 4end slidably carried by said ygise. a .fillnlmmemberhaving teeth adapted to 2,369,346 engage teeth formed in the adjacent faceof said shank, adjustably secured to said shank with its inner end longitudinally slidably mounted in said yoke and being pivotally connected by a link to said lever whereby as said leveris moved toward said shank said jaws willbe moved toward each futher, and a cam rigid with said lever and engaging said yoke operable as said lever is moved toward said shank, to urge said jaws toward each other. y l

7. A wrench comprising a shank having a xed jaw, a yoke slidably mounted on said shank and having a jaw complementing said `fixed jaw, a lever having its inner end slidably carried by said yoke, a fulcrum member adjustably` secured to said shank with its inner end longitudinally slid-` ably mountedin said yoke and being pivotally connected by a link to said lever whereby as said lever is moved toward said shank said jaws will be moved toward each other, andacamrigid with said lever operable as said lever and engaging with said yoke is moved toward said shank,

tourge said jaws toward each othen 8. A Wrench comprising a shank having a Xed jaw. a yoke slidably mounted `on said shank and having a jaw complementing said fixed jaw, a leverhaving its inner end slidably carried by said yoke,` a fulcrum member adjustably secured `to said shank with its inner endpivotallymounted 

